Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cast 2
Cast 2
CASTING
(Foundry)
Prof. S.K.Sahoo
Classification of solidification processes
Molding and Casting Processes
•The term molding process refers to method of making the
mold and the materials used for the process.
•The term casting process express a broader meaning which
includes molding, melting, cleaning etc. to get the casting.
1. Expendable mold processes – Mold must be destroyed to remove
casting
– Mold materials: sand, plaster, and similar materials, plus binders
– More intricate geometries are possible with expendable mold
processes
2. Permanent mold processes – Mold which can be used many times to
produce many castings
– Made of metal (or, less commonly, a ceramic refractory material)
– Permanent mold processes are more economic in high
production operations
Classification of Molding Processes
Casting processes can be classified into following FOUR
categories:
1. Conventional Molding Processes
•Green Sand Molding • Skin-dry sand molding
•Dry Sand Molding • Cement-bonded sand molding
•Flask less Molding
2. Chemical Sand Molding Processes
• Shell (CO2) Molding • Sodium Silicate Molding
•No-Bake Molding
3. Permanent Mold Processes
•Gravity feed • Low Pressure • Hot & Cold chamber die Casting
4. Special mold Processes
•Lost Wax • Lost foam • Ceramics Shell • Vacuum Sealed Molding
•Centrifugal Casting • Continuous casting
Different Molding & Casting Processes
Metals processed by casting
•Sand casting – 60%
•Investment casting – 7%
•Die casting – 9%
•Permanent mold casting – 11%
•Centrifugal casting – 7%
•Shell mold casting – 6%
Sand casting
This is a single use mold (expendable mold) of sand
aggregates as measure constituents & permanent pattern
casting process. This is most extensively used. Steps
involved are:
Production Steps in Sand-Casting
Sand Casting mold Terminology
Flask: It is the supporting frame of the mold. For two piece mold, the
top one is called cope & bottom one is called drag. The dividing line
between two is called parting line. If there piece flask used then
middle one is called cheek.
Core: A shape inserted into the mold to form internal cavities
Core Print: A region used to support the core
Sand Mold and Casting Terminology
•Core Sand Moulds: Core sands usually consist of mixture of sand grains and organic
binders which develop greater strength after backing at 150-350°C. Intricate shape, thin
projects can be made on casting. Costly, cannot be reused and reshaped.
Sand Casting
Advantages Disadvantages Recommended
Application
•Bedded-in method :
When upper surface of the caste is not flat, cope and drag are used.
First sand is rammed and level in drag and pattern lower half is
pressed, then cope is fitted and sand is rammed around. Afterwards, it
is lifted to remove the pattern.
Types of green sand molding/casting methods
•Floor molding: In this method , medium and large moulds are directly
carried out on the floor with proper flask (cope & drag). Slow and
laboring.
•The slurry forms a shell over the pattern, dried in a low temperature
oven, backed by clay to give strength, baked by a heating torch to
burn-off volatiles, molten metal is poured, part is taken out by
breaking the mold.
• Application: Ceramic molding can be used to cast steels, cast irons,
and other high-temperature alloys
•Advantages: good accuracy and finish, Capability to make thin
cross-sections
Shell molding
Steps:
• Disadvantages:
– A new pattern for every casting
– Added cost of producing patterns
Application
• Mass production of castings for automobile engines
• Easily automated
Investment Casting (Lost Wax Process)
• It uses a expendable pattern made of wax. It is coated with a refractory
material ( silica, aluminium oxide, Zr(SO)4 ) to make mold, after which wax is
melted away prior to pouring molten metal.
• "Investment" comes from one of the less familiar definitions of "invest" -
"to cover completely," which refers to coating of refractory material around
wax pattern
• Advantages:
– Parts of great complexity and intricacy can be cast
– Close dimensional control and good surface finish
– Wax can usually be recovered for reuse
– Additional machining is not normally required - this is a net shape process
• Disadvantages
– Many processing steps are required, time required is more
– Relatively expensive process
Steps in investment casting
(1)Wax patterns are produced by
injection molding process
Investment casting of an integrally cast rotor for a gas turbine. (a) Wax
pattern assembly. (b) Ceramic shell around wax pattern. (c) Wax is
melted out and the mold is filled, under a vacuum, with molten superalloy.
(d) The cast rotor, produced to net or near-net shape
Properties required for molding sand aggregate / materials
•Refractoriness: Withstand high temp, does not fuse. The
refractoriness of the silica sand is highest
•Green Strength: Sand contains moisture called green. It
should have strength to retain its stapes during molding
process.
•Dry strength: When molten metal is poured, it become
dry. This dry sand should have sufficient strength to
withstand the force of flowing molten metal and retain its
shape.
• Hot Strength: To retain in strength/hardness at high temp.
of molten metal when it’s dry.
Properties required for molding sand aggregate / materials
•Permeability: to allow hot air and gases to pass through
voids in sand
•Good thermal conductivity – take away the heat of molten
metal for its proper solidification
•Collapsibility - ability to give way and allow casting to
shrink without cracking the casting during solidification.
sometimes obtained by adding cereals or other organic
material, such as cellulose, that burn out when they come in
contact with the hot metal. The combustion reduces both
the volume and strength of the restraining sand.
Reusability - sand from broken mold be reused to make
other molds
Properties of a good molding sand continue…
46
(C) As per its use in mold
• Base sand:It is the main sand that surrounds the mould cavity,
mixed with clay & other additives.
•Facing sand: It is used directly next to the surface of pattern about 30-
100mm thickness and it comes into contact with the molten metal. Since
it is subjected to the most server conditions, it must posses high strength
and refractoriness. Without addition of used sand, 20% in volume.
• Backing sand: The balance mold sand is filled with cheaper & used
sand of low strength. It is the old, used sand, black in corner, low bond
strength, and 80% of volume.
•System sand: When we are not using two type of sand , in
mechanization process of castings, it uses one sand with proper mix to
fill the entire mold, called system sand.
•Parting sand: It is used to sprinkle at the separation surface of the drag
and cope, so as the green sand will not stick to each other and with
pattern. It is dry cline and clay free sand i.e. burnt core sand.
•Mould washes: These are slurries of fine ceramic
grains applied over mould surface to minimize fusion of
the facing sand and to produce smoother surface.
57
Slush casting
• A solidification skin will be developed first in a casting at mould wall.
This skin will grow become thicker with time.
•Hollow casting with thin wall can be made by this principle. The
molten metal is poured into the mould, after reaching desired wall
thickness, the remaining molten is poured out.
•Hollow ornamental and decorative objects are made by this process.
•The skin is thinner at internal angles than at external angles
Permanent mold casting
• In permanent mould casting process a mould is used repeatedly .
•The mold is generally in two halves , are made from materials
such as cast iron ,steel , bronze, graphite or refractory metal
alloys.
•In order to increase the life of permanent molds , the surface of
the cavity is coated with refractory materials.
•Mechanical ejectors such as pins/ pneumatic/hydraulic ejectors
are provided for removal of casting .
•Preheating of the mold & controlled cooling by water circulation
maintain the uniform mould temperature .
•The mold cavity & gating systems are machined into the mold &
thus become an integral part.
•Uses a metal mold constructed of two sections designed for easy,
precise opening and closing
Permanent Mold Casting Processes
Advantages Disadvantages Recommended
Application
Good dimensional Economical only in very High volume production
tolerances are large quantities due to high and can be automated
possible tool cost accordingly
Step 1: mold is preheated Step 2: cores (if used) are inserted and
and coated mold is closed.
•In this process the molds are in two
halves & molten liquid flow from top
to mold cavity by gravity force .
•One mold is stationary, other one is
hydraulically actuated for closing and
Step 3: molten metal is poured into opening.
the mold, where it solidifies.
Low pressure permanent mold casting
• Continuous
casting in nature
Squeeze-Casting
•The molten metal is squeeze and forced to fill the die cavity
to get the shape as required after solidification.
•This process combines the advantages of casting and forging.